1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to the field of gamma detectors used in the area of nuclear medicine and, more particularly to alignment systems including laser alignment systems for nuclear medical detectors and nuclear medicine imaging systems.
2. Background of Related Art
Nuclear or scintillation detectors (also called gamma cameras) are responsive to radiation emitted from a radiopharmaceutical injected into a patient during an imaging study. A radiopharmaceutical is typically selected that will target a particular organ or tissue of interest. In computed tomography studies, a detector head (or pair of heads) revolves around the patient and collects the emissions at various angles in order to generate an image of the targeted organ or tissue. In total body studies, the detectors may translate at a fixed or variable altitude along the patient.
A common problem in nuclear medicine imaging systems is the inaccurate alignment of the nuclear detector to the detector axis of rotation. Moreover, another common problem is the alignment of the patient bed or patient handling system, while in or out of axis, with the axis of rotation of the nuclear camera. Prior to the use and/or operation of the nuclear medicine imaging system, it is important that the nuclear detectors and the patient handling system be accurately and properly aligned with the ring of a nuclear medicine gantry.
Accordingly, a need exists for decreasing the inaccuracies in the alignment of the nuclear detector to the axis of rotation thereof and in the alignment of the patient bed with the axis of rotation of the nuclear detector.